On Wednesday, July 17, the bipartisan leaders of the House Committee on China-Communist Matters sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State and the Treasury Department, urging sanctions on 28 Hong Kong government officials for their responsibility in the worsening human rights situation and persecution of democratic protesters in Hong Kong.
In the letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Chairman John Moolenaar and Ranking Democratic Member Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Committee on U.S.-China Strategic Competition expressed deep concerns over the recent actions of the Hong Kong authorities further undermining democracy, rule of law, and human rights in the region.
They highlighted the conviction of 47 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists on May 29 by a Hong Kong court under the controversial National Security Law passed in March (the “47 Hong Kongers case”), indicating a significant escalation of efforts by the Hong Kong authorities, under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party, to erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and suppress dissent.
While acknowledging the U.S. State Department’s response and implementation of new visa restrictions on officials responsible for enforcing the National Security Law in China and Hong Kong, the lawmakers stated that these measures are insufficient.
They argued that the U.S. government must enforce the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, and Executive Order 13936 to hold individuals accountable for undermining the rule of law, democracy, and human rights in Hong Kong.
The officials they urged to sanction without delay include seven senior officials: Dong Jingwei, Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong under the Chinese Communist Party; Paul Lam, Hong Kong Secretary for Justice; Sonny Au Chi-kwong, Secretary-General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong SAR; Raymond Siu, Commissioner of Police; Margaret Chiu Wing-lan, Assistant Commissioner of Police; Dick Wong Chung-chun, Assistant Commissioner of Police; and Bruce Hung Ngan, Senior Superintendent of Police, as well as nine prosecutors and 12 judges of the National Security Law.
Chairman Chris Smith and Co-Chair Jeff Merkeley of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) also joined the call for sanctions. Last December, Chairman Smith and Co-Chair Merkeley had similarly written to Secretary Blinken urging sanctions on the aforementioned officials in response to Hong Kong authorities’ issuance of arrest warrants and bounties against overseas activists accused of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law.
Since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in August 2020, the U.S. government has announced sanctions on at least 42 central and Hong Kong officials under Executive Order 13936, including former Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council Zhang Xiaoming and current Director Xia Baolong, former Chief Executive Carrie Lam and current Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, former Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo, and former Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah.